Floor-jack



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1.

J DIX. PLooR JACK.

No. 411,589: Patented Sept. 24, 1889.

ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 2 sheetsfsheet 2.

J.. DIX. FLOOR JACK.

No. 411,589. y Patented Sept. 24, 1889.

N. FfiRS. Phnle-Lsihogrgpher. Wallington D. C-

lUNITED STATES t PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH DIX, OF ABBOTSFGRD, VISCONSIN.

FLOOR-JACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,589, datedSeptember 24, 1889.

Application filed August 9, 1888. Serial No. 282,349. (No'model.)

i illustrated in Fig. 1. In the saidslot 14 an To @ZZ whom it mayconcern:

13e it known that I, JOSEPH DIX, of Abbots-y ford, in the county ofClark and State of Viscousin, have invented a new and ImprovedFloor-Jack, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improvement in floor-jacks, and has for itsobject to provide a simple, durable, and effective device adapted foruse in laying iiooring and securing ceiling on the walls overhead orelsewhere; and the further object of the invention is to provide adevice whereby the flooring or ceiling maybe expeditiously andconveniently jacked up and the device also quickly released from thesaid floor or ceiling when desired.

The invention consists in the construct-ion and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, an d pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is a section on line cc fcof Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a plan view of thebody of the device. 5 is a perspective view of the jaclnbar, shoe, andhandle detached from the body of the device. Fig. G is a perspectiveview of the shoe.

In carrying out the invention the body 10 is essentially rectangular incontour, and is provided at its forward end with a downwardly-inclinednose 11, in the center of which nose at its outer end a concaved recess12 is produced adapted to' facilitate the driving of the nails into thefloor or ceiling to be laid. The said forward end of the nose is alsoprovided with a longitudinal groove 13, purposed to receive the tongueof the iiooring. v

Longitudinally and centrally of the body a vertical essentially T shapedslot 14 is formed, the horizontal member of the T being at the bottom ofthe body. The said T- shaped slot extends from the rear end of the bodyto a point approximating the nose, as

essentially T-shaped jack-bar 15 is arranged and adapted to slide, whichbar projects, preferably, beyond its rear end, and is provided with aseries of notches 16 at one side,

` adapted to receive a spring-actuated pawl17,

pivoted upon the upper face of the body, as

illustrated in Fig. 1. The pawl 17 is normally held in engagement withthe notches 16 by a spring 17, secured tothe body of the device at oneend and bearing at the opposite end against the under side of said awl.

Between the center of the body 10 and the nose 11 an elliptical or camshaped rabbet 1S is produced, and immediately over the said rabbet inthe front end of the jack-bar a recess 19 is formed, in which recess avertical. roller 2O is journaled at or near the inner end of saidrecess. In front of the roller '2O a hoolnshaped dog 21 is journaled,provided with a cylindrical outer surface purposed to engage the wallsof the rabbet 18.

Upon the upper surface of the dog 21 a shoe 22 is secured or castintegral therewith, which shoe upon its upper face is provided with atransverse central recess 23. The dog and shoe are pivoted in the recess1.9 of the jack-bar by means of a suitable spindle 24, passing throughthe said bar, dog, and shoe vertically, and upon the said spindle 24c isalso pivoted a handle 25, bearing upon the shoe 22 and extending outwardthrough the recess 3 therein, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

In the forward wall of the rabbet 18, opposite the friction-roller 20, asecond frictionroller 26 is provided, jourualed in a suitable horizontalopening produced in the nose 11. At or about the center of the jack-bar15 a vertical spike or tooth 27 is projected down ward at an inclinationfrom the front rearward, as best illustrated in Fig. 2, which tooth orspike is loosely held in a suitable aperture in the jack-bar, and thelower end of the said spike is preferably beveled, as illustrated at 28,the bevel extending upward from the rear in direction of the forward endor nose of the jack. At the rear of the central spike or tooth 2'7 asecond spike or tooth 29 is similarly fixed in the j ack-bar, the twoteeth being held normally in a fixed position through the medium of aspring 30, attached to said jack-bar and having its extremities upwardlycurved and engaging the contiguous faces of the spikes.

The spring 30 is purposed to prevent the teeth or spikes from droppingout when the device is inverted. The forward or cylindrical surface ofthe hook-shaped dog 21 is adapted to bear against the friction-roller2G, and the hub of both the said dog and attached shoe is purposed tohave frictional contact with the opposite roller 20.

At one side of the rabbet 18 a second rabbet 3l is formed in the upperbase of the body, as best shown in Fig. 1, the said rabbet 31 beingadapted to accommodate the shoe 22 as the said shoe is revolved. Thehandle 25 is provided with a longitudinally-attached spring 32, one endof which spring passes down through the said handle at or near itspivotal point, being adapted to enter apertures 33, formed in the upperface of the body at each side of the cam-rabbet 1S.

In operation, the board adapted to be jacked having been placed inposition, the device is laid upon the joist or other support for thesaid iiooring, the groove 13 of the nose being made to embrace thetongue of the board to be laid.- The handle 25 is then carried fullyover, or as far as possible to the left, as illustrat-ed in Fig. 1,andeither or both of the 'spikes or teeth 27 29 are driven into thejoist or equivalent support upon which the jack is rested. The handle isthen grasped and carried to the right or toward the operator,whereupon,the cylindrical surface of the dog coming in frictionalcontact with the lforward Wall of thecam-rabbet 1S, the jack-bar, beinglocked, forces the body forward, exerting a strong and uniform pressureupon the flooring. Vhen the desired pressure has been exerted upon thefloor-board, the pawl 17, engaging with one of the notches 16 of thejackbar, effectually holds the'body steady and in close contact with thejacked timber. The apertures 33 in the body may be made to surround thecam-rabbet 1S, in which event the spring 32 of the handle will enter oneof the said apertures and also serve to retain the device in the desiredfixed position. By reason of the nose-recess 12, While the jackis stillin position a nail may be readily driven into the board. The slot 23 isformed in the dog-shoe 22 in order that if the handle should stop justwhere it is desired to drive the nail, without releasing the clutch ofthe jack upon the board, the handle may be shifted to one side orto theother. The rollers in front and behind the dog and attached shoe enablethe device to be easily manipulated. The flooring having been attachedor nailed to the joist, the handle is again carried to the left, whichdraws the body away from the flooring, whereupon the device may bereadily lifted and the spikes easily and conveniently disengaged.

Near the rear end of the j ack-bar 15 a longitudinal slot 31 ispro-vided, adapted to receive abrace-bar35,which bar extends through thebody from side to side, as best illustrated in Fig. 1,V the said barbeing purposed to strengthen the said body.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a floor-jack, the combination, with a body provided with a nose atits forward end having a transverse groove, a central longitudinalessentially T-shaped slot, and a canirabbet produced in its upper facecontiguous to the nose and intersecting the said slot, of an essentiallyT -shaped jack bar having notches in one side and provided with a recessat its forward end,an essentially hookshaped dog pivoted in the jack-barengaging the walls of the cam -rabbet, a transversely-slotted shoesecured to the said dog, and a handle also pivoted to the jack-barvibrating in the recess of the shoe, detachable spikes passing throughthe said jackbar, and a spring-actuated pawl engaging the notches of thebar, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a floor-jack, the combination, With a body having a nose integralwith its forward end grooved transversely and provided with a recess inits upper face contiguous to the groove, a cam-recess formed in theupper face of the said body contiguous to the nose, an essentiallyT-shaped jack-bar reciprocating longitudinally in said body, providedWit-h notches in one face near its rear end and a recess in its forwardend, and a spring-actuated pawl engaging the notches of the jackbar, ofan essentially hook-shaped dog pivoted in the forward end of thejack-bar engaging the forward Walls of the cam-rabbet, atransversely-recessed shoe secured to the said dog, a handle vibratingin the recess of the said shoe, a friction-roller engaging the hub ofthe dog and shoe, and a second friction-roller engaging the outercylindrical surface of the said dog, spikes loosely projected throughthe jack-bar, and a spring engaging the contiguous surfaces -of thespikes, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a floor-jack, the combination, with a body provided with acam-rabbet in its upper face and a nose contiguous to the saidcam-rabbet, provided with a transverse groove and an inclined centralrecess in its upper face contiguous to the groove, of an essentiallyT-shaped jack-bar sliding longitudinally in the body, having a recess inits forward end, an essentially hook-shaped dog pivoted to the jack-barengaging the forward walls of the said rabbet, a shoe having atransverse recess fixed to the upper face of the dog, a handle alsopivoted to the jackbar vibra-ting in the recess of the shoe, fric- IOOIIO

tion-rollers engaging 4the front and rear of @rate substantially in themanner and for JEhe the said dog, spikes passing through the purposespecified. jack-bm' at an inclination toward the rem', a spring engagingthe contiguous faces of the 5 spikes, and a pawl pivoted to the upperface ,Vitnesses:

of the body engaging one face of the jaok- SAM J. SHAFER, bm :Lt or nemits remend, all Combined 130 op- FRANK FIRNSTAHL.

JOSEPH DIX.

